Sovereign
by TheNewIdea
Summary: Instead, it focuses on more basic human qualities- adaptability, courage in the face of adversity, willpower, loyalty and perhaps most important of all, weakness. It is because of these reasons and a few that even Narnia itself did not know, that the Messenger, the one who brings the Good News, came from the White Witch's court.


Chapter One- The Jagged Throne

Maugrim walked into the throne room as quietly as he could, his claws scraping the ice with each step he took, the sound echoing throughout the cavernous room. Standing in front of the Jagged Throne the wolf thought about what it was that the Queen could want, for the purpose was only clear in that he was needed.

"_What good could come out of this?"_ Maugrim thought to himself, _"Nothing if the rumors are to be believed."_

Jadis, self-proclaimed Queen of Narnia, appeared from behind the throne, coming from a hallway invisible from Maugrim's position. She was wearing her traditional robes, complete with a veil that Maugrim guessed used to be a wedding veil despite the fact that no King and no man of any kind was ever in a relationship with her. The wolf assumed that it was just for appearances sake, for it did seem to make Jadis' eyes, which were already as cold as ice, all the more sinister and mysterious.

At her presence Maugrim respectively lowered his head and extended his paw expectantly. Jadis did not acknowledge him, or even so much as approach him, instead taking her place at the ruler's seat.

"Speak if you must" Jadis exclaimed, her voice sounding less than pleased, obviously incredibly annoyed about something.

Maugrim raised his head nervously, for he had never been in the presence of the Witch until now, having only heard stories and rumors, most of which he assumed to be conjecture anyway. Now that he was before her, he realized how much truth they actually had.

"Milady" Maugrim began, his voice slow and calculated, the wolf taking caution with his words to be sure that he said the right thing, "I was told to come see you by the Commander. Am I mistaken?"

Jadis huffed sharply.

"You most certainly are" she replied, her voice matching her eyes in coldness, "I have no use for the likes of you. Tell your superiors to kindly handle their own affairs and leave me out of them, lest I unleash-"

Maugrim nodded, he got the message before it was even completed. To say that Jadis was upset about being cut off would be a drastic understatement, for Maugrim only turned around and walked away, his head hung low and tail tucked submissively in between his legs.

"Don't you dare walk away from me dog!" Jadis said, not necessarily screaming, for it had an unpleasant and almost unnatural calmness to it, as if whatever threat she made after this statement she would see through within the next five seconds.

Maugrim stopped and slowly turned around, his eyes facing a stone faced and evil woman. Her hands were clenched in anger. Her knuckles were white. If one looked close enough, they would be able to see her veins popping through the skin.

"What is it you require oh Queen?" Maugrim asked as he made his way forward once again, trying to mask his lack of confidence and fear by swaying side to side, shifting his weight with each swing that was made.

"What I require is your full and undivided attention" Jadis answered.

Maugrim stopped, every instinct told him not to look directly in the Queen's eyes in fear of turning to stone. He did so anyway. The longer he held his gaze the more he became mesmerized by them, they were like walking through a never-ending blizzard.

After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Jadis nodded and stood up. As she paced in front of the throne, she subtly gestured to Maugrim to watch her every movement in detail through quick flicks of her index finger every time she changed a direction. Maugrim showed his compliance by scraping his claws on the icy floor.

"Who is your superior?" Jadis asked

"Commander Tavros milady" Maugrim answered promptly, his head following Jadis as she went back to the throne, slowly becoming hypnotized due to the repetitive motion.

"And what are you to him?"

Maugrim shrugged, for a moment forgetting his company, speaking into his normal casual demeanor.

"I am nothing but a lowly recruit Your Majesty" Maugrim said meekly, "I am nothing to everyone, least of all Tavros."

Jadis nodded, taking mental notes. She continued her pacing without interruption.

"When did you join us?" Jadis continued, "And furthermore, why?"

Maugrim was confused as to why Jadis was asking all of these trivial questions. Still, he found it in his best interests if he answered, for it was better than the alternative.

"I have been with you for two months, three days, four hours, twenty minutes and thirty-two seconds. I came here because I believe that a kingdom with a tyrannical ruler is better than a kingdom without a ruler at all."

Jadis stopped, almost as soon as she did Maugrim realized his mistake. In an attempt to appease her, Maugrim ran up to the Witch's feet and lowered his head to the ground.

"Forgive me Your Most High Majesty" Maugrim said quickly, "I was out of line. I was using the people's words not my own, I did not think-"

Jadis cut him off midway through his apology.

"You did not!" she screamed, "A tyrant am I? A dictator? I have freed the people from the oppression and the heresy of the Lion! It is I who will lead Narnia out of darkness and into the light, into a glorious Golden Age where I am the sovereign ruler, one where I am God!"

Maugrim said nothing, mostly because there was nothing to say and even if there was he would be afraid to say it. In terms of his own beliefs he did not know what to think, for no one had seen the Lion in centuries. Many Narnians began to doubt he even existed, wolves in particular, completely disowned him. Maugrim, being newly initiated in the ways of the pack, still young, was in the dark when it came to religious matters of his own people, for such secrets were only revealed at the proper time, a time that Maugrim had not yet reached.

"Please forgive me Good Lady" Maugrim continued, his sole goal now being survival, "I meant no offense or disrespect."

Jadis remained silent and motionless. Maugrim stepped back, keeping his head to the floor. When he was a respectable distance from the Witch and the throne, he closed his eyes and waited.

"If it is Her Majesty's will to kill me" Maugrim exclaimed as he lifted his head towards the ceiling, "Then kindly do so quickly."

Jadis rolled her eyes annoyingly, in her mind it sounded more like an order than a request.

"Who are you to tell a Queen how to kill?" Jadis remarked, "You are nothing to me, nothing to no one, not even yourself! You are a pitiful and sorry excuse, a disgrace to your own kind. Now lie down and die like the dog you are, save us all some time and breath."

Maugrim laid down on his stomach, the icy floor chilling him to the bone upon contact, making his fur stand on end, his teeth chatter and his limbs curl up in an attempt to converse warmth.

"I am waiting milady" Maugrim continued, "Kill me if that is your desire."

Jadis raised her eyebrows curiously, surprised at Maugrim's calm demeanor, despite his obvious fear. The wolf was shaking, partly due to the cold and partly in the face of death, yet he did not move, it was as if he were already made of stone. Jadis could hear Maugrim's breathing, it was steady.

"Rise wolf" Jadis commanded

Maugrim remained motionless, he obviously didn't hear the command.

"I said rise!" Jadis repeated, more forcefully than before.

This Maugrim heard and obeyed. As he righted himself he felt a wave pass over him. It was as if someone had taken down all of Maugrim's defenses, for almost immediately Maugrim felt like laughing and howling at the moon in gratitude;the only thing that concerned him now was the gratefulness of being alive.

"What are you smiling for?" Jadis barked, for Maugrim had a strange, happy grin on his face as the wave passed through.

Maugrim laughed and shook his head, for he was unable to resist the power, he would take whatever repercussions came with this gesture, but at the present moment, it was all he was able to do.

"Forgive me Queen" Maugrim said through his laughter, "Forgive me for being a little grateful for this. I surely thought that you were going to-"

The wave disappeared, suddenly Maugrim felt cold, all the warmth and laughter that had filled his heart had disappeared. Maugrim swallowed hard, the confidence he had had disappeared, in its place was fear, anxiety and nervousness.

"Forgive me" Maugrim recovered, retreating to his go-to statement of the day. "I shall not fail you again. Your sovereignty is the Truth, the light that Narnia needs. No one can deny that, anyone who does speaks heresy."

Jadis huffed, she sat back down on her throne.

"Do you swear feudality to me?" Jadis said, more commanding Maugrim's answer than requesting it.

"You are the sovereign" Maugrim answered, "The Queen of Narnia. All of her holdings and all of her people bow to your whim. I swear my feudality."

Jadis nodded in silent agreement, Maugrim however, wasn't finished yet.

"What are my holdings?" the wolf asked

Jadis gave a glaring look Maugrim's way, confused by his meaning. Maugrim, to avoid another incident, gave an explanation.

"My holdings. If I understand correctly, by swearing feudality I pledge support to you, whatever you require I shall give. In return, to keep me loyal, you give me land and protection. So I say again, where is my steading?"

Jadis laughed and shook her head pitifully, for if Maugrim believed that he was going to get anything out of this relationship, he was surely mistaken. Still, Jadis thought, he was smarter than he seemed to be and appeared to have a general knowledge of political matters, so perhaps giving him something would serve an advantage later on.

"There is a cave a little ways away from here" Jadis replied, "Follow the Great River south, you will see it embedded in the mountainside. Plenty of wildlife for hunting."

Maugrim nodded, for it seemed suitable.

"The local wolf population?" Maugrim pressed, "How is it?"

Jadis shrugged, for honestly she did not know and personally she did not care. The only thing she wanted was for Maugrim to be out of her sight.

"See for yourself" Jadis continued, "Now if that is all will you kindly-?"

Maugrim once again did not wait for her to finish her sentence, only bowed his head and exited the room. Jadis did nothing to stop him this time, for there was nothing more for her to say and even if there was she decided to keep it to herself.

"Curious one isn't he?" Jadis said to no one in particular.

"Yes he is" a voice answered, loud, majestic and without form.

Jadis looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, she found no one.

"You shall not touch him Witch" the voice continued authoritatively, "He belongs to me, to my father, the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea."

Jadis shook her head, for now she knew the voice to be that of the Lion. She dare not speak his name, lest doing so cause him to appear.

"You're wrong Lion" Jadis replied, "I am sovereign here, you have no power. Not here, not anywhere."

The Lion laughed, for Jadis couldn't be further from the truth.

"My power comes from the one true King" the Lion roared, "The one whose breath alone brought Narnia itself into existence."

Jadis huffed in disbelief.

"If what you say is true than prove it." Jadis replied, "Show me your power Great Lion. Destroy this castle and all who dwell in it if you are who you say."

The Lion said nothing, for a moment Jadis believed that she had won.

"Ha! Not so High and Mighty now are you?"

She spoke too soon. The minute these words passed her lips, the Lion roared, it echoed throughout the throne room causing the icicles overhead to tremble in fear. They did not fall.

"Your greatest mistake was reading silence as submission" the Lion pointed out, "Jumping to conclusions is a poor quality in a ruler don't you think Jadis?"

Jadis scoffed, she found the Lion's sense of humor appalling for it was neither funny nor smart and simply stated the obvious. In the Witch's case however, the obvious was exactly what was needed, for she was both blind to truth and reason, logic having left her long ago. Hatred and the lust for power were all that guided her now.

"Get out of my castle!" Jadis screamed, having had enough of the Lion for one day, "Leave me to my own affairs and I'll leave you to yours. We'll see who comes out the victor in the end."

A pause. Once again Jadis thought that she had won. The Lion was contemplating her words, weighing the pros and cons of the situation.

"Very well Witch" The Lion exclaimed, " Choose your champion."

Jadis raised her eyebrows curiously, for she had no idea what he was talking about. After some time with no response, the Lion explained.

"You said so yourself, moments ago even, that you want to see who comes out the victor. What better way to do so than by choosing an acolyte?"

Now she understood. The Lion was offering a game.

"As you like" Jadis replied, "I'll play your game Lion. But be warned, I play by my rules."

"Your rules are cruel and unfair Witch" the Lion retorted, "But since you have agreed I see no objection. As such, I play by my rules."

Jadis huffed, for the Lion who no doubt involved the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea in his dealings. Still, if he should fail, it would be the prefect humiliation for both- Lion and Emperor, as well as legitimize her claim to the Throne of Narnia.

Jadis did not even have to think before answering. Her first choice, the only one she could make, was Ginarrbrik.

"So you have it" The Lion continued, making it official through his own tongue, "I choose the wolf. The one you sent away."

Jadis laughed at the notion, for she knew as well as anyone that Narnian wolves held no loyalties, especially not to the Lion.

"He will not follow you" Jadis said as she twirled her hair with her index finger, "He would rather roll over and die than submit. Besides he already swore his allegiance to me."

"You may have his body Witch" the Lion said in agreement, "And you may take the mind, but I have the soul."

Before Jadis could continue, the Lion fell silent, his presence having left the castle in favor of finding Maugrim and telling him of his plans. Jadis meanwhile, cursed the Lion's name. Part of her knew that she was going to lose, for it was written in the Prophecy that was transcribed on the Stone Table. Despite this knowledge, Jadis resolved to do everything in her power to stop its fruition and it began with Ginarrbrik.


End file.
